Roofing tongs or seamer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. S. MEALS.

ROOFING TONGS OR SEAMER.

Iva 428.686. Patented May 27, 1890.

wines/s as 6 7072676502 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. MEALS.

ROOFING TONGS OR SBAMER.

Patented May 27, 1890.

la 5s UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA S. MEALS, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROOFING TONGS OR SEAMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,686, dated May '27,1890.

Application filed August 12, 1889- Serial No. 320,471. (No model-l T aZZwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EZRA S. MEALS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harrisburg. in the county of Dauphin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRoofing Tongs or Seamers, of which the following is a specification,reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

1o My invention has for its object to provide a roofers seamer orseaming-tongs which are adapted for turning single or double seams, areconvenient for use, may be made at comparatively little cost, and arepowerful in action, so that the seams of heavy sheet metals, like zincor galvanized iron, may be easily turned.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are front and rear side views of myimproved seamer with the handles broken away. Figs. 3 and a are endviews, partly in section, of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail View toillustrate a modification; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are diagrams toillustrate the operation of my device in turning single and doubleseams.

The body of my improved seamer consists of two members or levers a andI), having a pivotal or jointed connection at c. In use the member orlever a, having the right-angular 3o portion or jaw d, is stationary,and the member or lever I), having the jaw e, is moved relative thereto.The jaw e is formed thin, and is arranged to work edgewise, as shown inFigs. 3 and 4, thus presenting a narrow 3 5 edge, over which the initialbend is made, said jaw being above the bottom of the jaw d, and beingupwardly inclined beneath the seaming or bending bar h when in theoperative position shown in Fig. 3, so as to afford a proper 4oresistance to assist the action of the said bending-bar. The jaw d isprovided with the adjustable extension leaf or bar f, by changing thepositions of which the working height of the said jaw above the flatsurface of the 4 5 roof may be varied in turning single or double seams,as will be described presently. I prefer to construct the extension-barf with a right-angular flange f, fitting in a recess d, and to providefor the vertical adjustment to different working positions of the saidbar by means of sleeves or bosses d formed on the jaws (Z, and in whichfit pins or studs 9 on the barf, said pins or studs each having tworecesses into which the ends of the set-screws g fit, so as to hold saidbar securely and accurately in either one of its two working posit-ions.

To the top of the jaw d is hinged or pivoted the seaming or clinchingbar 72, which is normally held in the raised inclined position shown byfull lines in Fig. 3 by the liftingspring t', attached to said jaw, andto some relatively-stationary part above, as to the projection a of themember a, as herein shown. The seaming-bar h is chamfered off or cutaway slightly at one end at h so as to leave an inclined'orpartly-turned connection between the turned and unturned parts of metalin seaming, and thus avoidbreaking the sheet metal by too sharp a bendbetween the said turned and unturned parts, and the said bar h isoperated or forced downward in turning a seam by means of the foot-leveris, pivoted at a to the member a, and provided near its fulcrum wit-h arounded projection or lug k, which engages the upper side of theturningbar h. The foot-lever 7c is also providedwith a second projection(preferably made in the form of a roller-stud, as shown,) which, as thesaid lever is moved downward, comes in contact with the inner-face ofthe member [2, and thereby forces said member outward to carry the jaw 6out of the way of the seamingbar It as the latter descends. The membersa and b are to be provided with handles of suitable length and form forconvenient use, and in the operation of my device the jaw dis firstplaced firmly against the higher of two upturned edges m and n (see Fig.6) of sheet metal to be seamed, the extension-bar f of said jaw beingdrawn out or depressed, as shown in Fig. 3. The jaw e is then forced bythe operator against the jaw d, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, givingthe initial bend, Fig. 7, to the single seaming-lip m of the edge 'm.The foot-lever 7G is next depressed, causing its projection 70' to forcethe seaming-bar downward to the position shown in dotted'lines, Fig. 3,thus clinching the lip m down over the upturned edge 41, as shown inFig. 8, the jaw e being meanwhile moved outward (just fast enough to bekept clear of the descending seaming-bar) by the roller or projection Rwhich engages the inner face of the member Z), and forces saidmemberoutward away from the member a, toward which it is held by theoperator. The seaming-tongs are then moved along to a new position, andthe operations above described are repeated until the single seam hasbeen formed the entire length of the upturned edges on and 72.

To form the double seam or bend, as shown in Fig. 9, the extension-bar fis closed up against the jaw d, as shown in Fig. 4, thus lowering saidjaw, so as to bring it in proper position to perform the operations, asabove described, on the single seamed edges, Fig.8, to form the doubleseam or bend. The proximity of the lug or projection It on the lever 70affords a powerful leverage, and gives such a strong grip of the saidlug against the hinged seaming-bar as to enable the double seam to beturned and slightly clinched in heavy sheet metals without anydifficulty.

Instead of forming the barf as asliding extension of the jaw (I, saidbar may, if desired, be hinged to said jaw, as shown in Fig. 5, in whichcase said bar can be turned up, as denoted by dotted lines, when it isdesired to lower said jaw d to form the double seam.

From the foregoing it willbe apparent that I provide a tool or devicefor roofers use consisting of few parts and convenient and easy ofoperation, and by which either single or double seams can be readilyturned.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. The combination, with the lever a, having theright-angular jaw (Z, of the lever Z), having a pivotal or jointedconnection with said lever a, and provided with jaw 12, the seaming-barh, hinged or pivoted to said jaw (Z, the spring for lifting said bar,and the footlever 75, having a projection L near its fulcruln to engagesaid bar and force the same downward, said lever having also a stud orroller k arranged to impinge against the inner face of the said lever Z)to force the said jaw e outward as said bar h descends.

2. The combination, with the lever a, having the right-angular jaw d,provided with an extension-bar, of the lever b, having a pivotal orjointed connection with the said lover a, and provided with the jaw e,theseaming-bar h, hinged or pivoted to said jaw (l, the spring forlifting said bar, and the foot-leverk, having a projection 7o near itsfulcrum to engage said bar and force the same downward, said leverhaving also a stud or roller 7,: arranged to impinge against the innerface of the said lever 19 to force the said jaw e outward as said bar hdescends.

In testimony whereof Iaifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' E. S. MEALS.

\Vitnesses:

W. H. SMYsER, A. L. DINTAMAN.

